Christopher Makaza

The National Peace and Reconciliation Commission(NPRC)`s Prevention and Non Recurrence thematic committee says its priorities for the coming quarter will be focused on capacitating Provincial Peace Committees, setting up and institutionalising a Conflict Early Warning and Early Response system.

Posting on its twitter handle yesterday the PNR thematic committee also said it will be working with other national and local level institutions, including traditional leadership to promote conflict prevention, inclusivity and tolerance.

“We also expect to set up the National Peace Committee and mobilize for the induction of District Peace Committees,” it says.

The NPRC was established under Sections 251 to 253 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No.20) Act 2013. Section 252 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No.20) Act 2013 states that the NPRC’s functions are to ensure post – conflict justice, healing and reconciliation.

In January 2018, President of Zimbabwe Emmerson Mnangagwa signed the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission Bill into law. The enactment of the law operationalized the Commission that was appointed in 2016.The establishment of the peace committees is in line with the Commission’s strategic priority to enhance the resolution of the country’s conflicted past and healing process.

The peace commission has ten key functions, including section 252 (c), which stipulates that the NPRC must promote national reconciliation by encouraging truth-telling about the past, facilitating the making of amends, and providing justice.

Section 252 (d) prescribes that the peace commission should develop procedures and institutions at various levels of society to prevent conflict and disputes arising in the future and section 252 (g) which mandates the commission to develop mechanisms for early warnings of potential conflicts and disputes and to take appropriate measures to prevent them.